Prime mover



1970 A. J. VANDEN AUWEELE 3,492,881

PRIME MOVER Filed April 12, 1967 United States Patent 3,492,881 PRIME MOVER Albert Jozef Vanden Auweele, 18 Duizend Meterlaan, Brussels, Belgium Filed Apr. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 630,324 Int. Cl. F16h 27/04 US. CI. 74-84 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A first displaceable mass supports a second mass which is driven in reciprocation thereon through a flywheel and crank and rod system, there being a spring means subjected to deformation during one direction of travel of the reciprocating mass thereby to store energy, the spring means releasing the energy during the other direction of travel thereof to impart a net thrust on the first mass to displace the same.

This invention has for its object a prime mover.

The invention has for purpose to provide a prime mover which may be used to propel a vehicle in space, on earth, in the water or in the air. This prime mover may also be used to drive a dynamo or any other machine.

For this purpose, according to the invention, the prime mover comprises two associated masses which are movable with respect to one another, one of these masses being reciprocably driven by a motor in forward and rearward strokes along a straight line parallel or inclined relationship with the propulsion direction.

According to an embodiment of the invention, means are provided for the motor-driven mass to cause, as it reaches the ends of its strokes, an impulse on the other mass, the means being so arranged that the impulse force in one of said points is stronger than the impulse force in the other point, so as to obtain a net thrust producing movement along the propulsion direction, such direction being determined by said point where the impulse force is stronger.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said means is so arranged that the kinetic energy of the mass, when it moves along a vector with a component opposite to the propulsion direction, is smaller than the kinetic energy of the mass that moves along the direction opposite to the direction of said vector.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said means comprises at least one element that converts, partly at least, the kinetic energy of the motor-driven mass into potential energy during part of the movement of this mass and which converts this potential energy into kinetic energy during another part of the movement of said mass.

Other details and features of the invention will become apparent from the description given below, by way of nonlimitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a prime mover according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a modification of embodiment of the prime mover shown in FIG- URES l and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a modification of embodiment of the prime mover shown in FIG- URES 1, 2, and 3.

In the various figures, the same reference numerals pertain to similar elements.

The prime mover according to the invention and shown in the drawings comprises two masses 1 and 2, the mass 1 being comprised of a framework 3 with two parallel rails 4, over which moves a carriage 5 that comprises the mass 2. The carriage 5 is driven by a motor 6, integral with the carriage, and connecting means 7 are provided to insure an alternating motion of said carriage relative to the framework 3. The connecting means are comprised of a rod and crank system 8, the rod 13 of which is hinged to a part 9 integral with the cross-bar 10 of the framework and the crank 32 of which is attached by the foot thereof to the shaft 29 of a fiy-wheel 30. The shaft 12 of the motor 6 and the shaft 29 of the fly-wheel are in parallel relationship, the fly-wheel 30 being driven at the periphery thereof by a wheel 31 fixed to the shaft of said motor 6. The rod 13 and the crank 32 have substantially equal lengths and the shaft 14 about which the rod 13 swings, the shaft 29 and the shaft 12 of the motor are in parallel relationship. The prime mover has means 15 comprised of a spring 33 which is attached on the one side to the framework and on the other side to the rod 13. This spring 33 is to be tensioned to convert into potential energy part of the kinetic energy of the carriage 5 during the first half of the travel thereof along the propulsion direction as shown by the arrow 16 and to give back this potential energy as kinetic energy to the carriage 5 during the second half of the travel thereof along said propulsion direction and during the first half of the travel thereof in the direction opposite to the propulsion direction, the spring 33 being tensioned to convert into potential energy the kinetic energy of the carriage 5 during the second half of the travel thereof along the direction opposite to the propulsion direction. By means of the spring 33, diflerent resistance is applied to the carriage during its forward and reverse strokes, and consequently the impulsion is larger, by the end of the travel thereof along the propulsion direction 16 than by the end of the travel thereof when it moves along the direction opposite to the arrow 16 whereby a net thrust is produced on the mass. There is thus obtained a prime mover which always moves in the same direction, that is along the direction of arrow 16.

According to the invention and as shown in FIGURE 3, the prime mover comprises means 15 comprised of a spring 17, a cam 11 and a lever 18 that swings about an axis 19 in parallel relationship to the shaft of the motor 6, on the carriage 5.

The cam 11 is fixed to the shaft 29 of the fiy-wheel 30 and acts on a roller 20 mounted on the lever 18. The end 21 of the spring 17 is integral with the shaft 29 of the fiy-wheel while the end 22 of said spring is attached in 23 to the lever 18. The engagement point 24 between the cam and the roller is located on a circle having as its center the trace of the swivelling axis 19 of the lever 18 and for its radius the distance between the axis 19 and the axis of the fly-wheel shaft 29. The cam 11 is comprised on the one hand, of two circle sectors 11 and b with different radii, the apex of which lies on the axis of the shaft 29 of the fiy-wheel 30 and the angles of which are right angles opposed by the apex and, on the other hand, of two sections cand d located between both said sectors and the curved edges of which extend in prolongation of the arcs of the sector edges. During the rotating of the cam 11, in the direction shown in the drawing, the spring 17 is tensioned when the roller 20 moves on the periphery of section d and released when said roller 20 moves on the section c. The rod 13 is hinged in 25 and the length of this rod is such that a plane at right angle to the rails and passing through the motor shaft comprises the swivelling axis of the rod when the engagement point between the roller 20 and the cam coincides with the point 26 of the cam 11.

FIGURE 4 shows a prime mover which comprises, as does the prime mover shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, a carriage 5 moving on rails 4 of a framework 1, a flywheel 30 driven by a wheel 31 fixed to the shaft 12 of a motor, and a rod and crank system 8.

The fiy-wheel 30 is provided on the upper side thereof adjacent the periphery, with a lug 35 against which two levers 36 and 37 are applied freely under the action of a spring 38. The levers 36 and 37 are hinged respectively in 39 and 40, at one end thereof to the carriage 5, on either side of the fly-Wheel 30, so as to swing about axes in parallel relationship with the shaft 29 of the fly-wheel 30.

The one end of the spring 38 is attached to the lever 36, the other end of said spring 38 being attached to the lever 37. Said spring 38 is bent into a U-shape about rollers 41 and 42 mounted on the carriage 5 and swivelling about axes in parallel relationship with the shaft 29 of the fly-wheel 30.

The position of the lug 35 with respect to the crank 33 is such that at both ends of the travel of the carriage 5, the lengthwise axes of the levers 36 and 37 are located in the plane comprising the axes 39 and 40 about which the levers 36 and 37 swing. Moreover, the spring 38 must be so arranged that, at said travel ends, the force component in the radial direction of the fly-wheel 30 exerted by the spring 38 on the lug 35, through the levers 36 and 37 is zero and that, consequently, the potential energy stored in the spring 38 may be entirely used for accelerating the fly-Wheel 30 and consequently the carriage 5 relative to the framework, as the spring 38 releases, that is when the carriage 5 moves along the propulsion direction 16. When the spring is tensioned, during the displacement thereof along a direction opposite to the propulsion direction, the converting of the kinetic energy of the carriage 5 has a high efliciency when said carriage reaches the travel end, in the direction opposite the propulsion direction 16.

To obtain said results, as the hingin-g axes 39 and 40 of the levers 36 and 37 are located on either side of the fly-wheel 30, in a plane that comprises the axis of the shaft 29 of the fiy-wheel 30 at right angles to the propulsion direction 16, the lug 35 in this particular case, is displaced by an angle of 90 with respect to the crank 32, this angle being considered in the direction the crank 32 rotates.

The position of the hinging axes 39 and 40 of the levers 36 and 37 may be changed, but the position, of the lug 35 is dependent on the position of the crank 32.

Thus, for example, when the hinging axes 39 and 40 are located in a plane in parallel relationship with the propulsion direction 16, the angle enclosed by the crank 32 and that radium of the fly-wheel 30 which passes through the axis of the lug 35 must perferably be zero. In such a case, according to the invention, the lug may be located on the crank 32.

Thus, the impulse of the carriage 5 at this travel end is reduced to a minimum and a maximum of kinetic energy is converted into potential energy. This potential energy is suddenly released when the carriage 5 reaches the travel end thereof along the propulsion direction, so as to have a maximum impulse at this end of the travel.

The tension of the spring 38 may be adjusted by suitable means, which are not shown.

When the motor is started, for instance by means of a rheostat in the case of an electric motor, the carriage 5 slides over the rails 4.

Immediately after starting the motor 6, the power supply thereof is reduced by means of said rheostat, in such a Way that the motor comes to a momentary stop when the engagement point between the roller 20 and the cam 11 coincides with the point 26, located between the section and the sector b, such position being reached when the carriage moves in a direction opposite the arrow 16. Thus, the motor energy is in balance with the maximum energy that may be stored by the spring 17. From this moment on, the framework 3 undergoes a series of pushes in the direction of the arrow 16 and consequently the framework moves along this direction.

To increase the speed of the engine provided with the prime mover, one only has to adjust the tension of the spring to increase the pressure of the roller 20 on the cam and to adjust again the motor supply to reach said balance.

The operation of the prime movers shown in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 4 is similar to the operation of the prime mover shown in FIGURE 3 and described above.

The framework 3 is to be mounted on an engine so as to be swingable thereon. The direction reversals of the engine are obtained by pointing the rails 4 of the framework along a direction in parallel relationship with the desired movement direction.

I claim:

1. A vehicle comprising a displaceable first mass, a second mass slidably supported on said first mass, drive means including a motor and connection means between said masses and coupled to said motor for reciprocating the second mass on said first mass in forward and reverse strokes, and interference generating means acting on said drive means during reciprocation of the second mass to apply dilferent resistance to the displacement of the second mass during its forward and reverse strokes in each reciprocation to produce a net thrust on the first mass.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, in which the second mass is larger than the first mass.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, in which the motor is carried by one of the masses.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, in which the first mass comprises a framework with at least one guide rail, said second mass including a carriage slidably mounted on said rail, the motor being integral with the carriage.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, in which the connection means comprises a rod and crank system hingeably connected to the framework and to the carriage, said rod and crank system being driven by said motor.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein said connection means further comprises a fly-wheel having a shaft, said motor driving the rod and crank system through said fly-wheel, said system having a crank fixed to the fiy-wheel shaft.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6, in which said motor includes an output shaft which is in parallel relationship with the fly-wheel shaft, and a wheel fixed to said output shaft and in driving relation with the fiy-wheel at the periphery thereof.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, in which said system includes a rod and crank of substantially equal length.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, in which said interference generating means comprises a resilient member.

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, in which said resilient member is a spring.

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, in which said means for reciprocating the second mass comprises a drive motor, and a rod and crank system connected to said first and second masses and driven by said motor, said spring having one end attached to the rod and an opposite end attached to the first mass.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said means for reciprocating the second mass comprises a drive motor, a fly-wheel driven in rotation by said motor, a rod and crank system connected to said fly-wheel and said first mass, said interference generating means further comprising a lug rotatable with said fly-wheel, a pair of levers hingeably connected to said second mass for pivotal movement about axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the fly-wheel, said spring having opposite ends connected to respective levers to apply the same against said lug.

13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, in which the axes of rotation of said levers extend at right angles to the direction of displacement of said first mass.

14. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, in which the means for reciprocating the second mass further comprises a fly-wheel with a shaft coupled to said motor for being driven therewith, the axes about which the levers pivot being located on either side of the fiy-wheel shaft, in a plane that comprises the axis of said shaft.

15. A vehicle as claimed in claim 14, in which said plane comprising the axes about which the levers pivot is substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of the second mass, said rod and crank system including a crank connected to the fiy-wheel 90 behind the lug relative to the direction of rotation of the fiy-wheel.

16. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said intereference generating means further comprises a driven cam, a pivotal lever on the second mass and having a roller acting on the cam, one end of said spring being fixed to the second mass While the other end of the spring engages the lever to apply the roller against the cam.

17. A vehicle as claimed in claim 16, in which the means for reciprocating the second mass comprises a driven shaft, said cam being provided with a circular shoulder in driving relation with said shaft, said cam constituting a fly-wheel.

18. A vehicle as claimed in claim 16, in which the cam has a profile to cause tensioning of said spring dur' ing part at least of the travel of the second mass.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner 

